My Darling Daisy, My Daisy Darling
by SailorHikarinoMu
Summary: Planet AU. When Alfred, King of the Sun, and Matthew, Prince of Earth meet for the very first time at a planetary gathering, the seedlings of destiny begin to bloom – a legendary love is born, having been written in the stars since the creation of the Universe. This consequently thwarts the plans of King Ivan of Jupiter. Nevertheless, here is their story. Warnings/pairings inside.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.

Summary: Planet AU. When Alfred, King of the Sun, and Matthew, Prince of Earth meet for the very first time at a planetary gathering, the seedlings of destiny begin to bloom – a legendary love is born, having been written in the stars since the creation of the Universe. This consequently thwarts the plans of King Ivan of Jupiter. Nevertheless, here is their story. Warning: fluff, MxM pairing, AmeCan with onesided RusCan, side pairing FrUK, and hinted RusPru.

A/N: I've been working on this for approximately a year and a half, now. One day all that time ago, I just woke up and it was like I had been kicked out of bed by Sailor Moon herself or something because I suddenly had the urge to write this. So basically, in sum, this story came to be through my deep love and appreciation for the following three things: Sailor Moon, astronomy, and Greek mythology. I even looked around FFN and AO3, trying to see if maybe someone had written something like this before for Hetalia and well… it seems like I'll be the first one to do something like this. If it turns out that I am not the first after all, well know that I didn't steal that person's idea. The plot literally came to me all on its own, through my passion for the three aforementioned things (seriously, I'm obsessed with astronomy, and I've held a deep interest for Greek mythology since I was a kid, same with Sailor Moon when it used to air on YTV, so…).

Anyways, enough with my rambling, (I'll leave more information about which character is which planet and for what reason at the end of this chapter)…

Enjoy!

 **My Darling Daisy, my Daisy Darling**

 _A lone star King let out a sigh as his sights lingered on a blue planet that never ceased to intrigue him. The words that subsequently passed his lips were ones he had been repeating for far too long:_

" _Please grant my only wish. Let me meet the one that Fate chose for me, my greatest treasure, the most valuable of companions… the one that will truly love me."_

…

 _All by his lonesome, he wondered, for not the first time, whether his patient waiting would ever be rewarded._

* * *

It was a rare occurrence – well, if one regarded meeting once per _mega-annum_ as 'rare', considering the age of the Universe – for the nine planets of the Solar System to gather together.

Indeed, for a single evening every 1 million Earth years, the nine rulers attended a grand interplanetary 'ball' of sorts hosted at the chosen planet's official residence. Its main purpose was to supposedly strengthen pre-existing bonds and spark new ones, amongst other reasons.

Many of the monarchs spoke to each other rather regularly, depending on the friendliness of the relation in question. Others lived a more solitary existence, choosing to rule their planet on their own without the help of the others.

The first to arrive at this year's gathering, in Mars this time, was Antonio: Messenger of the Milky Way, and both the Living Embodiment and King of Mercury. He possessed the gifts of Wisdom and Speed, and served as guide to the souls of fallen stars from neighboring galaxies. During his free time, he could usually be found strumming his lyre, or composing musical arrangements at the request of other rulers.

Next to make his entrance was King Francis. Formally known as Venus, he was the Bringer of Peace, and the Incarnation of Love and Sexual Desire. Of all the other sovereigns in the Solar System, he existed purely to be beautiful and adored, having no other duty aside from being admired by others.

Currently seen by his side, yelling and cursing until his face turned as red as his planet, was this year's host, King Arthur of Mars. He was the Representation of War and Strategy, Epitome of Passion and Fire, and lest one forgot, Lover of Venus. In fact, Mars was quite possessive of the latter, and turned quickly jealous should another, especially Pluto or Mercury (Venus' closest friends), occupy Venus' attention.

Which was exactly why Mars could be seen yelling and cursing in the first place…

"Antonio! What the bloody hell are you doing here, you insufferable buffoon! You're not supposed to be here! As it happens, I purposefully avoided inviting you and that accursed Plutonian dwarf."

"Hey! Who are you calling a dwarf, Red? After all this time, I see you still fail to remember that you're no colossal planet yourself. Heck, I've seen _moons_ that are bigger than you."

Arthur whirled on himself only to come face to face with a grinning Pluto, who had just snuck in through the grand doors of the ballroom.

Pluto, known as Gilbert amongst friends, was a somber and frightening-looking character at first glance, but in actuality was quite the opposite. His complexion was deathly white, his face gaunt with sunken garnet-red eyes. With his hair being as pale as the rest of him, and the fact that his role led him to adhere to a strictly black wardrobe, it was understandable should one mistake him as malicious. Yet, let it never be forgotten that looks could be deceiving. After all, he was the Bringer of _Peaceful_ Death, and Ruler of the Underworld – the final resting place of fallen stars. Being so far away from the Sun, and consequently everyone else, he lived a lonely existence, and thus enjoyed these gatherings like no other. Of all the planets, Antonio was ironically the one he interacted with the most, due to his duty as guide. Second came Francis, when Arthur was away.

(Oh, and speaking of the latter, it should be duly noted that angering Arthur – 'Red' for short, because Mars _was_ known as the red planet and all – was Gilbert's favorite pastime.)

Face practically aflame, the Martian immediately scoffed, "Oh, it's _you_." Poison dripped from his every word, openly expressing his disdain. "You weren't invited either, I'll have you reminded. Though, I have the sneaking suspicion tha– Francis! Stop your grinning. It was you, wasn't it? You're the only person I know who would want these two fools as company."

Both Francis and Gilbert, and soon Antonio, shook with barely restrained laughter, eyes filled with mirth.

Arthur harrumphed as he crossed his arms, furious at being made the laughingstock at his own party. "That is quite enough. Cease your incessant laughter this instant, or I'll have Jupiter throw his lightning at–"

"You called?"

All four rulers felt a jolt zip through their vertebrae when Ivan's innocent inquiry met their ears.

The Jovian ruler stood off to the side, having been content with simply watching them from afar as indicated by the evident amusement tugging at his lips.

Mars was the first to recover, not one to remain inert for long (nor did he enjoy being caught by surprise; he should have noticed Ivan's presence on his own soil). "Ah, jolly good to see you, old chap. Welcome to my humble home. I trust the journey through the Asteroid Belt went smoothly?"

Ivan smiled warmly. "Yes, thank you for asking. It is nice to be seeing you all, as well."

The King of Jupiter was easily the tallest of all the rulers, as he represented the Solar System's largest planet. He was the Bringer of Jollity, and Wielder of Lightning and Thunderbolts. In addition, being the fifth (and thus, middle) planet away from the Sun, he served as middleman between the inner and outer planets. If anyone could be considered King of Kings, it was Ivan.

…And if anyone ever asked, he most certainly did _not_ have a soft spot for the pretty Earth Prince, Matthew…

Ah, the Earth! Now, there was a jewel! Only the Earth could boast about such things as being capable of supporting life. But, not just life. Oh, no. _Complex_ life: animals, and fungi, and autotrophs (or 'self-feeders'), and these oddly shaped microorganisms called 'bacteria'! Trees so tall it appeared like they never ended. Creatures that could fly, or swim, or both, or neither. Microbial extremophiles that thrived in the most severe of environments. Matthew was the Solar System's sweetheart, loved and cherished and doted on by everyone – and yes, that included even Venus. Even he, the ruler that _lived_ to be admired, could not help but be (perhaps, overly) fond of Matthew. What more, Arthur, known to evince excessive amounts of jealousy and envy towards anyone that so much as caught his dear Francis' eye for more than a second, was also known to be the one who spoiled the lad the most.

Indeed, Prince Matthew was just that treasured, that special in the eyes of the remaining planets.

And yet, he barely even noticed.

* * *

EARLIER THAT DAY, ON PLANET EARTH

" _The gathering is today? Already?" Prince Matthew asked. From the top of a high branch, he blinked owlishly at his companion, all while setting the fallen chick currently peeping in his hand back into its nest. "Are you sure? I could have sworn it to be sometime next century."_

 _King Kiku, formally known as Saturn – and also nicknamed 'Old Father Time' by the others – stifled a small chuckle behind the palm of his free hand, the other holding his scythe. "Am I sure, you ask? Do they not call me the 'Wiseman'? The 'Sage of the Past, Present and Future'? I am the guardian of space-time, child. Of course, I am certain. Now, do get ready. I recommend you wear your finest clothes, and…" he trailed off, eyeing Matthew with a calculatedness that did not go unnoticed by the latter._

"… _And?" the Earthling asked uncertainly, voice meek, before climbing down the tree he had been in. He bit his lip nervously, self-consciously picking off the leaves and broken twigs he knew to be in his hair._

 _For what exactly went on in the Saturnian's mind, no one knew for sure – one would probably prefer staying blissfully ignorant._

 _Kiku smiled knowingly, apparently pleased with himself. "Expect this evening's gathering to be a milestone in your existence as Prince of Earth. That is all I may tell you, and why I suggest you look your absolute best."_

 _The blond sighed in response, inwardly rolling his eyes as he proceeded to do what he had been told._

 _It was a blessing Saturn's role as Timekeeper kept him from visiting Earth often._

* * *

"You did remember to send him an invitation, yes?"

Arthur frowned, green eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Of course, I invited him! Just what are you insinuating, Venus?" He furtively glanced behind, making sure they were alone as he guided the Venusian down one of the many grand corridors found in his palace.

It had been three Earth hours since the start of the party, and everyone had arrived by then. Well, except for the Earth Prince and, interestingly enough, Saturn. Concerned and most of all curious as to the potential whereabouts of the missing two members, Mars had convinced his Venusian counterpart that they speak away from the prying ears of the other planets. They had therefore excused themselves from the main ballroom, and so away to a random hall they had gone…

"Nothing, my love. Just checking. I, too, issued an invitation to our dearest Matthew." Francis all so casually inspected his recently manicured nails, for his part uncaring whether anyone else heard their conversation. "He _is_ rather forgetful."

The Martian turned to gape at his lover, eyes wide with incensed disbelief. "How many people have you invited behind my back? First Mercury, then Pluto, and now the Earth Prince? What next? You're going to tell me you invited that blasted Sun King, as well?"

Venus' tone was bored as he answered, "Yes, actually. It is only proper he feel welcome among us. I am aware he is not exactly one of us, but that is no reason to treat him as–"

"YOU _WHAT_? HOW COULD YOU!" Arthur shouted, abruptly interrupting the other. He then pulled at his choppy blond hair, panic steadily creeping into his voice. "Do you not realize what you have done? Jupiter explicitly warned us–"

"Jupiter, although wise, is not all-knowing, now is he? That would be Saturn. And he, unlike Ivan, has never spoken ill of the Sun," came Francis' counterargument.

To which Arthur, his previous shock having receded as quickly as it had come, could only shake his head regretfully, admittedly defeated in the face of Venus' sound logic.

It should be known that King Alfred of the Sun had never been invited to any of the interplanetary gatherings, not even the very first one. In fact, he was a rather uncomfortable subject to many of the rulers of the Solar System, even though all nine planets – literally – revolved around him.

The Sun was a star, not a planet. And as such, Alfred was continuously cast aside, shunned by those who orbited him day in and day out.

Never mind Jupiter's rather cautionary words concerning him…

It was the sad truth, but it seemed like Alfred had accepted his fate, as indicated by the way he rarely, if ever, showed his face outside of the Sun.

…Now that he thought about it, Arthur could not even recall the last time he had seen the Stellar ruler. No matter how hard he tried, he could not even remember what the Sun monarch looked like. Blue eyes? Or were they gold? Blond hair, or red? Or maybe brown? How long had it been exactly?

Gah! Arthur took the easy way out on this one and thus simply gave up.

Either way, if what Francis had said was indeed true, then planet Mars would soon be welcoming a total of nine guests onto its soil.

* * *

"Saturn! Why, how odd it is to see you arrive so late! Are you perhaps losing your sense of time?" Gilbert joked upon the entrance of the newly arrived monarch.

Kiku bowed low in apology, upper body parallel to the glossy ballroom floor. "Please forgive my tardiness. I had matters to attend to."

Antonio approached to clap him on the back, a delighted grin nearly splitting his face in two. "Oh, there is no need for that, my friend! I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are merely glad you made it." The Mercurian then lead him toward the refreshment area, where numerous platters and bowls and bottles were arrayed neatly on several large stone tables, "Relax! Have a drink! It has been so long since we have last seen you, and this night's celebration has only just begun."

Saturn merely smiled as he let the ever-excitable Mercurian pour him a glass. "Thank you, Antonio," he said once he was handed his drink. Looking around, he then thought aloud, "I see Mars and Venus have decided to elope again?"

That got a laugh out of Antonio, "Oh no, they just left to talk alone for a while. They said they would be coming back soo– Never mind. They're right behind you."

Kiku turned to greet the couple, polite words of acknowledgement at the ready, only to be pulled roughly by his sleeve. "Wha–"

"Have you seen Matthew?"

All activity came to a pause at the mention of the Earth Prince's name.

Eyebrow raised, Kiku carefully regarded Mars, ignoring the latter's tight grip on his arm. Slowly, ne nodded. "Yes, I visited him earlier this day. He should be arriving shortly."

Venus, who was standing by his lover's side, then made his presence known, "See? I told you, darling. Matthew simply lost a race against time. He is late, but he will still be showing up." He then pressed a quick kiss to the Martian's cheek. "Calm yourself, my love. I know you are eager to see him, but that is no reason to be uncivil towards our dear Kiku. He has done nothing wrong."

Cheeks red in embarrassment, Arthur immediately released his fellow planet. "Francis is right. My sincerest of apologies, Saturn. I humbly ask you forgive me for such lack of manners. Really, how grotesque of me." He then gestured to the tables, "Can I be of service to you?"

The Saturnian only chuckled in genuine amusement, waving his hand in dismissal. "That is quite unnecessary, Arthur. And please, kindly stop apologizing."

Relieved, and face still a little colored, he took a step backwards. "Right. Agreed." He coughed. "Well, I suppose I still owe you a proper welcome. So welcome back to my home, Saturn, my friend. To begin, may I ask if there is anything you need? A refill for you drink perhaps? Seeing as the contents of your previous one have spilled from my jostling you."

Kiku looked to the ground, and blinked. "Ah, yes. So it seems." Coffee brown met green once more. "I suppose a refill would be appropriate. Thank you."

Arthur grimaced more than smiled, and proceeded to do just that, rolling his eyes when he heard Francis' pitiful attempt at stifling a laugh.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Ivan studied Kiku with something akin to bitter contempt; so, Old Father Time wanted to continue being a slave to Fate, did he?

Well, that simply would not do.

* * *

MEANWHILE, PLANET EARTH

"Is this what Saturn meant by 'looking my best'? It feels strange." Matthew twirled on himself, his royal robes swishing along with the motion. The ocean blue fabric along with its silver trims felt soft to the touch; he had made it from the finest of Terran silks.

Yet, despite how comfortable it felt on his skin, he could not help but feel relatively ill at ease.

After all, he normally never wore such official clothing. Indeed, he loved to explore what his wonderful planet had to offer, even if (read: especially if) it involved getting his hands dirty: climbing trees to sing along with his birds, scaling his magnificent mountains with hopes of catching an exquisite view of his surroundings, wandering through his vast forests to run with his wolves, swimming in swamps to play with his leeches and toads… contrary to him, the silk he was currently wearing would never survive such activities. And contrary to him, the silk he was currently wearing was unfit for such harsh treatments – just like how Matthew himself was unfit for those social gatherings the other planets insisted on having.

He glared at his robes, glared at the fact that they only served to further remind him that such an event was taking place at that very moment on Mars.

Why could it not be sometime next century, like he had hoped? Why had Saturn felt the need to come and remind him of it? Why could he have not been left alone in the first place? Left uninvited like the Sun?

With a sigh, Matthew let the energy of his planet engulf him, and launched himself towards his Martian neighbour, speeding through space much like a comet.

As he travelled, Saturn's words returned to the forefront of his mind, reverberating:

" _Expect this evening's gathering to be a milestone in your existence as Prince of Earth."_

…Was it strange to say that he had sensed this particular evening to be special even before the Saturnian's visit?

He had not the faintest inkling of what to expect, however. Though, he supposed that would be changing very soon.

* * *

The first to greet him upon his arrival on the Red Planet was non-surprisingly Saturn, as the latter had been anticipating it. Though, once the Earth Prince passed through the entrance to the ballroom, all eyes were on him.

Francis and Arthur, who had been in the middle of a petty argument as per their usual, immediately brightened – as did all the others. They rushed to his side, joking and smiling and feeling positively delighted by his presence there amongst them.

Matthew, flushed in embarrassment by all the attention, spoke quietly, "Sorry for arriving late, everyone. I did not mean to lose track of time the way I did."

Pluto beat everyone to it – earning jealous mutters and more than a few eyerolls from the others – when he was the first to assure the Prince, "Nah, don't ya fret about that, kiddo. We're just glad you made it! Better late than never, yeah?" He then ruffled Matthew's hair – earning many glares this time. "Now that you're here, let's get this party started folks! C'mon, who's up for some shots?"

"As long as Earth tries what I brought, I agree."

"Ugh! You mean that weird Jovian 'vodka' thing of yours? …Fine, whatever. At this point I just wanna get drunk off my orbit, oval-shaped as it is."

And just like that, Matthew found himself being tugged towards what would soon become a highly interesting night indeed.

* * *

It was nearly midway through the social gathering.

He had felt it coming, an inexplicable feeling tugging at his heart strings, telling him that something – someone – was on its way.

When that 'something' finally came, a loud _bang_ by the front entrance, the room grew silent.

Matthew, his back to the door, froze. Call it a gut feeling, but there were eyes suddenly focused on him. They were the eyes of a monarch, that was for certain. Eyes belonging to someone indescribably powerful, yet foreign. The eyes of an outsider. Whoever this 'someone' was, the Earth Prince had certainly never met them before.

Despite it, he found himself slowly turning around, towards the alien in the room – and unknowingly, towards his destiny.

And just as Fate had decided, that moment proved to be the first time Matthew of Earth met the one they called the Sun King.

* * *

From the sidelines, Saturn smiled secretively.

Like everyone else in the room, he waited with baited breath to see what would happen next.

More precisely, what would happen between Alfred and Matthew as the paths of the Sun and Earth intercepted each other for truly the first time ….

* * *

His smile was blinding, was Matthew's first assessment. Almost like the rays of the–

"Salutations, I'm Alfred," the Solar King began, loud and vainglorious. "Supreme ruler of the Sun Kingdom, Bringer of Warmth and Light and, in your case, my dearest Earth," his voice dropped to a low, seductive whisper as he leisurely approached the unresponsive Earthling, "Life."

Matthew gulped, his cheeks undoubtedly as red as the cherries on his planet. "Greetings to you as well, Sun King." He paused, biting his lip in contemplation, to then suddenly blurt, "I am sorry, but if I may ask, how do you know of me? I'm afraid we've never met."

Alfred smirked, alluring blue eyes sparkling playfully – like the way sunlight rippled and bounced off the waves of his ocean waters during daytime, Matthew inwardly mused.

The Sun King was breathtaking. Beautifully surreal and absolutely resplendent in his royal garbs – red fabric and gold trims and all. From his bronzed skin to his dazzling smile to those eyes – eyes Matthew had never even imagined could be real by how, to put it in simple terms, strikingly _blue_ they were. More so than even Neptune's, which was saying something considering the latter represented the _Ocean_ Planet.

Matthew was soon jostled out of his thoughts as Alfred answered, mirth made evident by his tone of voice: "Of course we have! We see each other every day, silly! Well, at least, I see you. When it is sundown in one place, it is dawn in another, after all."

"You… see _me_?"

"I see your _planet_ ," Alfred clarified.

Matthew frowned, confused. "Then how did you know _I_ was the embodiment of Earth if you have never seen me in person before?"

The Sun chuckled, speaking as if it were obvious, "You are the most beautiful thing here." (Meanwhile, behind him, Venus glared daggers at his back despite Mars' immediate attempts to calm him: "Don't listen to him, Francis, love. It's all rubbish. Everyone knows you are the very definition of beauty.") "I mean, I thought your _planet_ was special, but _you_ … You surpass that. That is how I knew."

Before Matthew could respond, Ivan made himself known. "Ah, comrade Sun. How long it has been since I have seen you last. Except… I do not think you are welcome here, as you were not invited, yes?"

"Actually–" Alfred began, until Saturn intervened:

"Whether he was invited or not, it would only be logical he stay now that he is here. In other words, it would be highly improper of us to make him travel all the way back to the Sun when he only just arrived, would you not agree?"

Jupiter regarded his planetary neighbour with barely concealed displeasure, electricity audibly crackling from the inside of his tightly curled fists, until he finally relented, not wanting to cause a scene – especially not in front of his beloved Earth Prince. "You are right. Where are my manners?" Purple eyes then shifted to meet sunny blue, the Jovian's tone as frigid as Jupiter itself even on its warmest day. "Welcome Sun King. It is an honor having you among us this evening."

Returning the favor through clenched teeth, Alfred answered just as coldly, "I'm happy to be here. Thank you for having me."

"Wait… the both of you have met before?" Matthew inquired, head cocked slightly to the side with question. He reflexively shrunk in on himself when all eyes landed on him once more.

Alfred smiled warmly. "With the exception of, well, you, Earth Prince, I have met with every ruler in the Solar System. And that means… every sovereign that is in this room, basically."

For some inexplicable reason, Matthew felt a pang of disappointment; Alfred must have known who he was by basic recognition. He had singled everyone out and had automatically deduced that the lone unfamiliar face in the room must have belonged to the Earth representative.

…It was not because Alfred had found him beautiful, like he had said to be the case. Alfred had probably only meant it as a friendly compliment, nothing more. Besides, from what Matthew had heard, the Sun King had a reputation of being excessively nice to everyone he met, new and old acquaintances – and, of course, Matthew fell under the 'new' category.

"Anyways, I'll have you know that I'm thrilled to finally meet you. I take it you've only been told good things about me? Or did these guys taint your preconceived image of me with their bogus tales?" Alfred resumed with a light chuckle.

In response, the Earthling merely shrugged, "I cannot say I've heard much of you. I never really leave Earth to begin with, and everyone here is kept busy enough as it is with their respective duties. It is quite rare I interact with anything other than what lives on my planet."

The Sun ruler visibly deflated. "Ah, I see."

Arthur, on his part, seemed to take pity on Alfred as he proceeded to clear his throat. "Eh-hem, well then. Now that we are all here and have introduced ourselves, shall we dance? If I do say so myself, Antonio has really outdone himself with his latest creations."

Thankfully, the Mercurian perked up at the mention of his name – a relief to Mars, who was internally cringing at the realization he had so heedlessly complimented the other. "Wow, why thank you Arthur! That was very nice! I hope everyone will enjoy my music, too." Mercury gestured towards the dancing area with a dramatic sweep of his hand. "C'mon everybody! Let us celebrate such a joyful reunion!" Yet, after a handful of steps, he abruptly stopped, turning to face those walking behind him only to boldly announce, "Oh, and I claim first dance with Matthew."

And if said Earth Prince had ever witnessed an avalanche, it was negligible compared to the one that tumbled its way toward his ears in the form of angry protests and biting remarks.

Ah, the perks of being the darling of the Solar System.

* * *

Standing off to the side with a bottle of some odd, but palatable Plutonian drink (Gilbert had called it 'beer', if he remembered correctly), Alfred watched as Matthew was literally fought over. The latter was unable to dance with anyone without another stealing him away almost immediately afterwards. For elder planets, they certainly were behaving like newborn stars.

Ha. Even Saturn, who was normally _abnormally_ reserved and even-tempered, was getting in on the action. Ah, and there went Gilbert. Antonio going next came as no surprise. Oh his Milky Way, did Francis just…? In front of Arthur, no less? And… oh wow, Ivan was definitely blushing. Who knew the big guy could get as red as Mars when holding an equally-as-red Earth monarch so close to his chest? Hmm, how interesting.

Regardless of it all, the Prince really was beautiful, Alfred thought. In fact, if the Sun King were to be entirely truthful to himself, Matthew was the loveliest creature he had ever laid his eyes on.

Undeniably.

And oh, he had ruined his chance; he had come off too strong, earlier. Surely, Matthew would prefer someone other than an irritating, ostracized brat like himself.

For who could ever want the Sun anyway? No one. That was why he was never invited to these gatherings – not that he was ever wanted at all in the first place. He was just a great big ball of plasma. Just a giant mass of fusing hydrogen atoms. Not something one would necessarily consider appealing.

Basically, it came down to this:

There was the Earth, also known as a true treasure if Alfred had ever seen one. And then there was the Sun, just some medium-sized star that only so happened to be at the very center of the web of planets circling around and around and around him, time and time and time again. He burned things to ash. He destroyed and melted with his blistering heat. He made Mercury and Venus uninhabitable. It was not necessarily his fault that the latter two were so close to him, but he certainly felt like it was, gravitational pulls and all that. Maybe if they had been placed a little farther away, like Earth…

Ah, and there it went again! He was back to thinking about the Earth Prince. It was almost as if the Sun was the one that revolved around the Earth rather than the opposite – at least, Alfred's thoughts surely did so.

He wondered if he had ever been on Matthew's mind before, the same way Matthew was constantly on Alfred's. Because although Alfred had never met the Earth representative until this very evening, he had always let himself imagine what the famous, yet mysterious Prince might look like. He had dreamed the Earth ruler to be strong, and nurturing, and well, obviously beautiful in some form. It would be strange if the embodiment of such a special planet turned out to be unattractive, no? Not that that really mattered. Rather, it just made more sense that way. At least, according to Alfred it did.

Oh look, Matthew was now walking towards him.

Huh.

Wait, _what_?

"Do you not like to dance? Or is it perhaps something else? You seemed deep in thought."

Goodness, Matthew was endearing, downright enticing. And how irresistible, that way he had of coiling his lovely – so, so _lovely_ – hair around his forefinger. Hmm, he looked nervous, though. Almost as if…

"Oh, uhm, sorry. I just stood there staring at you like a fool instead of answering your questions. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable." Alfred rubbed the back of his neck, incredibly embarrassed. "Regardless, if you really must know, I do not dance."

"Why?" Matthew asked, still toying innocently with his hair.

Ashamed, Alfred lowered his head. "I… never learned how."

"I see. Well in that case… I, for one, could most certainly teach you, if you wish. May I?"

The Sun King's head snapped upwards at such an offer, so fast he had to blink repeatedly to quell the dizziness. "Excuse me?" No one had ever shown the slightest interest in teaching him to dance, never mind an interest to dance with him period – or any interest at all, rather. He kept himself from wincing.

"Come. Let me show you. I assure you it is quite enjoyable."

And just like that, Alfred found himself at the center of the floor, arms encircling Matthew and Matthew instructing him on proper foot placement.

Like clockwork, a storm of jealousy instantly surrounded the pair, emanating indisputably from where the other planets stood close by – envious yet surprised by such an unexpected turn of events.

* * *

The Sun was warm. So comfortably, welcomingly, wonderfully _warm_. Matthew could not help but press his cheek flush against the Solar King's chest. Mmm... This was, for lack of a better word, nice. Alfred's natural scent was all-encompassing. Fresh, but a whisper spicy. Like roasted cinnamon. Like vanilla, or zesty ginger-lime. A dash of coconut, perhaps? Yes, perhaps. It was heady, a spellbinding perfume, whatever it was. Mmm…

"Matthew?"

Lazily, as slow and sweet as the Earth bee's honey, violet eyes fluttered open. "Yes?"

Alfred's face was florid, his pretty blue eyes – ah, they were actually not entirely blue, since upon closer inspection Matthew observed gold flecks amidst those otherwise impossibly blue irises – shifting uncomfortably from side to side. "It's nearing the end of the night. I best be going…"

The Earthling felt his stomach drop. It was over so soon? It felt like he had been in Alfred's arms for a mere measly minute. Wanting to make this fleeting moment last a touch longer, Matthew suggested, "How about you spend the night on Earth, with me? And then come morning, you could travel the rest of the way to the Sun?" For further measure, he drew his lips into an exaggerated pout, a facial plead. "Please, you must not leave so soon. Stay with me a little while longer. I do not wish for this moment to end. Please, Sun King?"

The Sun's breath hitched at the sound of his name, at the sound of those words. Matthew appreciated his company. He enjoyed Alfred's presence. At that moment, it even seemed that – dare he believe it – Matthew… _liked_ being in his arms.

With a wide smile, Alfred gleefully wrapped his arms tighter around the Prince, guiding the latter closer to his self. "Alright. I accept. However…"

That caught Matthew's attention. "However?"

"However, in return, rather than leave come morning as you have proposed, I humbly request you show me around Earth. I have never seen your planet from up-close before. Only from afar. As such, I am quite curious."

"Say no more. We have ourselves a deal." Matthew laughed, eyes crinkling into slight crow's feet at the corners, to which Alfred soon mirrored by letting his own set of chuckles escape his lips.

Ways away, the King of Jupiter watched the interaction unfold, purples eyes shrinking into rancorous slits. He payed no mind to the glass of vodka cracking under his tight grip, nor the serpent-tongues of lightning hissing venomously from his twitching fingertips.

* * *

End of Chapter 1

Extra information:

 **Sun:** Alfred (because the US is the superpower of the world. Also, he has a sunny smile, and sunny hair, and luminous blue eyes, and a sunny demeanor. America just screams 'Sun King' to me. I mean, Alfred is a total superstar, and plus he has stars on his flag so… it just fits in my opinion. I think most people would agree with me on this.)

 **Earth:** Matthew (because Canada has a lot of resources like water and lumber that it seemed appropriate. Plus, Matthew is patient and kind in nature, which I would imagine Mother Earth to be like, a nurturer. There are other reasons, but it's mostly also because I wanted him to be the main character, and I know Earth the best in comparison to the rest of the planets in our Solar System.)

 **Mercury:** Antonio (because both Spain and Mercury are 'hot' places, and I thought having Francis and Spain be planetary neighbours as they are geographically in real life would be a riot, not to mention fitting! Also, from what I've read, Mercury (Greek: Hermes) was a god that liked to pull pranks and tell jokes, and was the type to goof off… like Spain (if his being in the BTT says anything). [Messenger of the planetary rulers, gifted with wisdom and speed, guide of dead souls (to Pluto), possesses musical talent]

 **Venus:** Francis (because he's the country of love! Duh! And when I think of the story of Ares (Roman: Mars) and Aphrodite (Roman: Venus), it kinda reminds me of FRUK in the sense they're always trying to get back at each other for something the other did.) [Bringer of peace, representation of love and sexual desire]

 **Mars:** Arthur (because he has a fiery temper, is a fighter, and because FRUK. Furthermore, England is a country that has been in multiple wars, not to mention its history as a powerful empire, so...) [Bringer of war, and representation of passion]

 **Jupiter:** Ivan (because Russia is the biggest country on Earth just like Jupiter (Greek: Zeus) is the largest planet in our Solar System.) [Bringer of jollity, wielder of lightning]

 **Saturn:** Kiku (because Japan strikes me as patient, phlegmatic, and ultimately wise. In other words, perfect for Saturn (Greek: Cronos) who is said to be associated with time and agriculture, though I won't be addressing the agriculture aspect much in this story.) [Father of Time]

 **Uranus:** Denmark? [Ruler of the Sky and Wind], & **Neptune:** Norway? [Ruler of Oceans]

(In case any of you are curious, know that I had Denmark and Norway as Uranus and Neptune in mind. However, I find that there are more than enough characters to play with as is, and so decided not to include them for now. Maybe they'll make an appearance in later chapters, but I make no promises.)

 **Pluto:** Gilbert (because just like how Prussia is an ex-nation, Pluto (Greek: Hades) is an ex-planet. Also, because both Prussia and Pluto are awesome. Besides that, I thought Prussia would be good as Pluto, just because. Oh, and France & Spain were already in the story, so might as well include the BTT) [Bringer of peaceful Death, and ruler of the underworld]

A/N: I like Pluto, and I liked it when it was a planet dammit! And although I understand why Pluto was demoted from planet to dwarf planet, Pluto is a planet here. Because Pluto is cool.

And on a last note, I'm not basing the characters exactly off of Greek mythology, so there are some definite discrepancies between my ideas and actual mythology.

Hope you enjoyed.

Sending you all smooches from Canada,

~SHnM


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.

A/N: A Guest reviewer reminded me of a particularly _important_ detail that I completely forgot to mention last chapter: if there are humans on planet Earth. The answer is no; planet Earth in this AU is Earth as we know it, except devoid of humans. So man-made things like the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China? Those don't exist in this story; only natural things such as the Great Barrier Reef and the like do. And as for clothes, I imagined all of the planetary rulers to wear something akin to a toga, or a chiton (like what the gods typically wore in Greek mythology), except for Earth (I imagined him to wear something resembling Peter Pan's attire (the one starring Jeremy Sumpter haha)). Thank you, Guest Reviewer, for your review and for the reminders!

Please, enjoy!

 **My Darling Daisy, my Daisy Darling**

Saturn unhurriedly approached the perpetually quarrelling lovers, uncharacteristically thrilled yet making an exceptional effort in appearing apathetic as per his usual.

He had seen how intently Matthew and Alfred had looked at each other, the way they had uncovered each other for the first time after the Sun King's arrival, quietly assessing one another with warm appreciation. Where Alfred's attraction had been evident to those paying attention, Matthew's had been subtle, almost guarded, though not enough so as to have escaped the Saturnian's keen eye.

Nevertheless, he had nearly smacked himself when the first word to have passed the Sun's lips had been 'salutations'. For the love of Fate, words of that sort were no longer used – at least, in regard to common speech! It was incredibly outdated, and unusual to hear these times that even Saturn himself never said it. Ah, but in Alfred's defense, Kiku had also heard the slight tremor in his voice. The usually proud, self-confident Sun ruler had truly been nervous. From seeing all of the planets for the first time in so long? Possibly. But at heart, Saturn knew it was from _finally_ meeting the ever-elusive Earth Prince. Alfred had most probably decided to greet Matthew that way in order to appear more sophisticated, intelligent. Naturally, he had wanted to create a favorable first – and lasting – impression.

And that was to be expected; Alfred always tried too hard to get others to like him.

Matthew was no exception.

If anything, Alfred had likely doubled his efforts in hopes of impressing his Terran counterpart. Now if only–

"Saturn? Are you quite alright, my friend?"

Kiku snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Francis' voice, and looked up to two worried sets of eyes.

Oh, he remembered now; he had been meaning to speak with these two.

"Mars. Venus," he acknowledged with a nod. "May I ask you both a favor?"

Said planetary rulers looked at each other uncertainly, before turning back to Saturn and nodding just as uncertainly.

"How can we be of assistance, old friend?" Arthur spoke up at last, hesitant.

Straining to keep hold of his excitement, the Saturnian was careful to adopt his habitual calm façade. "I need you to occupy Jupiter's attention while Alfred and Matthew depart to planet Earth."

At that, Francis frowned. "And let the Sun remain alone with our dearest Prince without any supervision? I cannot allow that."

"Venus is right. Amongst us all, Jupiter interacts with King Alfred the most, and he has never returned with the most favorable of things to say. You understand how such negative remarks have only contributed to our current wariness of King Alfred, do you not?"

Actually, Kiku did understand. He realized that Mars and Venus were only looking out for the Earth Prince, only wanted what was best for him (regardless of the fact that Matthew was more than able to look out for himself). And Kiku had heard the rumors. He did not speak to the Jovian King often despite their being neighbours, yet that most certainly did not mean Ivan's words regarding the Sun did not reach his ears.

After all, celestial bodies – whether it be stars or planets or comets or moons – liked to gossip, and Saturn had heard plenty from the latter. He had, after all, more than fifty moons.

"I do. All I ask for is your trust."

"Granted. In the name of Francis, King of Venus, and of myself, King of Mars, yada yada yada – spare me the effort of going into detail, would you? – I hereby place our trust unto you _if_ , and _only if_ , you guarantee that Matthew will not come to harm whilst in the Sun's presence. Should this happen, our response shall be unimaginably swift. So swift, the speed of light will seem sluggish in comparison, understood?"

Kiku's lips curled upwards knowingly. "Quite. You have my word." Smile then gone as if never having been there, Kiku stared pointedly at Arthur, "I don't suppose dear Jupiter has ever tried your cooking?"

Lacing his Venusian's fingers with his own, the Martian King smirked, "Whatever you have planned best not disappoint us."

* * *

"Ah, Saturn! Have you seen Mars? I will be leaving soon yet cannot find him. I wish to express my gratitude for such a wonderful evening, before bidding both him and Francis farewell."

Kiku glanced over his shoulder, ultimately turning towards Matthew. "I'm afraid I have not. Though, I could relay the message. I am sure they will understand." He smiled pleasantly, offering the blond a rare wink, "After all, they are in the know of the plans you made with a certain Solar King."

Face coloring despite himself, the Earth Prince scuffed the toes of one foot back and forth against the glossy corridor floor, nervous. "…Word spread around fast, eh?"

Saturn stifled an amused laugh behind his palm, nodding in agreement. "Quite."

"Matthew, are you finished? May we leave now?" came a voice from the mouth of the hallway, its owner's steps quickly drawing closer.

The Earth Prince stepped aside to greet the newcomer, his peripheral vision all the while keeping close watch over the Saturnian. "Yes, we may. Though, perhaps I ought to also search for Jupiter, as I have not seen hide nor hair of him either." At a subtle twitch of Alfred's nose – which was not missed by neither Saturn nor Earth – Matthew explained, "You see, I wish to say goodbye to everyone before we betake ourselves to Earth. It is only polite to do so, after all."

Alfred looked somewhat put out at the words. "Oh, of course."

"Thank you, I –" Matthew began when Saturn cut in:

"Actually, if I may, I propose to speak with Ivan in your stead. It has been a taxing day, and Earth, although a neighbour to Mars, is still ways away. Thus, it would be in your best interest you go. Do not worry, as I am sure that, just like Mars and Venus, Jupiter will understand."

The Prince wavered for but a moment, before coming to the conclusion that he may as well listen to Saturn – for if anything, the latter was indisputably trustworthy, and was the voice of reason amongst the planets. As such, it was with this sense of assurance that he consented, "Alright. You may." He then added with a bright, appreciative smile, "Thank you, Saturn, for constantly displaying such kindness towards me. Know that I treasure our friendship."

"Likewise, Earth." Returning the smile, he glanced sparingly at Alfred, and only felt his lips curl further upwards; the Solar King was staring at Matthew like an Earth moth would a flame – entranced, charmed… just as Fate had foretold. "I will be seeing you soon, Sun King. For now, do behave whilst on planet Earth."

With that, the gas planet took his leave, though not without missing a certain blue-eyed monarch's murmur of "Don't have to tell _me_ twice."

* * *

"Halt! Halt, I say! You have not yet had the chance to enjoy my newest culinary masterpiece! I have named it the 'scone', and I insist you have one, Jupiter."

Said ruler strode quickly out of the room, ignoring Arthur's cries (never mind Francis' near-maniacal laughter) to please come back, and how about you try these inedible pieces of rock I just incinerated in a mock-imitation of how the Sun reduces things to ash?

Letting a long, relieved breath escape him once far enough away, he set his mind to finding his sweet Prince (whom he had not seen since Mars and Venus had pulled him towards the kitchens) until Kiku materialized at his side out of thin air.

The latter had an unfortunate knack for teleportation, a gift shared alongside only Pluto.

Ivan launched towards him a glance of surly contempt, before greeting, tone mocking, "Ah, look who we have here: Fate's eternally loyal peon. How nice of you to join me, comrade Saturn. I trust you have come to inform me of my darling Matthew's whereabouts?"

King Kiku paid no mind to the other's hostile behavior. In fact, the usually equable Timekeeper for once bore an iron countenance, coffee eyes slits of stormy warning. "I strongly advise you keep away from Earth, Jupiter. Both the planet and its embodiment."

"Or what, dearest neighbour?" Ivan sneered, hands sparingly spitting electric sparks – a prelude to his much greater lightning flashes. "Will Old Father Time cast me out of the Solar System? Go back to the Past and avert my very Creation? I think not. We both know you are not one to intervene directly unless Fate orders it. Even so, you simply do not have the physical capability to prevent anyone from doing anything." He paused, tapping his chin in afterthought, before conceding, "The other planets and your moons, yes, perhaps. But, certainly not **me**."

"Careful, little Ivan, or you may find yourself struck by your own thunderbolts."

In response, the Jovian stomped his foot angrily, rounded chin jutting with aggression. "We shall see about that."

Lips upturned in an odd combination of mirth and pity, Saturn vanished wordlessly.

* * *

End of Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to those who have read/favorited/followed/reviewed this story so far. Know that I appreciate the support immensely.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that further chapters will continue to meet your expectations.

Sending you loads of hugs from my corner of Canada,

~SHnM


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.

A/N: Y'see, I don't know if all three Guest reviews were left by the same person or not, but either way… my goodness! How the heck did you know about Kuma being the Moon? Jeez, at this rate I won't be able to surprise anyone anymore hahaha :)

Please, enjoy!

 **My Darling Daisy, my Daisy Darling**

They had just landed on Earth, both fatigued by the journey and prepared to retire for the night.

Not that it dampened the Solar ruler's excitement of _finally_ getting to visit the planet he had waited so long to see up close….

"Oh my Milky Way! Is that Earth's Moon?"

Matthew brushed himself off, before looking to Alfred. "Hmm?" He glanced in the direction Alfred was pointing. "Oh, why yes. Yes, it is."

"Do you think I can meet them? Your satellite's representative?" the Sun King asked, stifling a yawn.

"You mean Kumajirou? Perhaps. He remains asleep for the most part. He is the Dream Guardian and Protector of my animals, and thus mostly spends his time in the Slumber Realm."

Blue eyes widened almost comically. "Animals _dream_? Wow, I would have never thought that to be the case!"

"Most of them do, yes," Matthew answered with a chuckle, secretly thrilled by the clear, unadulterated wonder he could see written in the other's bright gaze.

Despite his status as darling of the Solar System, no one had ever seemed enthusiastic and genuinely curious while asking simple questions about his planet before.

It felt wonderful.

"Anyways, not to be discourteous, but I truly am weary and would fain get a little rest after the long day I have had."

The Earthling was pulled out of his thoughts at his guest's words. "My palace. It is just up ahead, past the thicket of evergreens you see."

Alfred could not help but groan, "Are you implying we are not yet at the end of our travels for the day? Must we cross this 'thicket', as you say, by foot?"

"Not quite," the Prince smirked before placing two fingers past his lips, whistling.

The resulting clop-clopping instantly intrigued the Sun, until two large figures appeared through the trees and approached the clearing in which he and his fellow sovereign stood.

Alfred's jaw dropped, nearly inarticulate. "I…W-what?"

"Moose. They are called moose." His smirk only grew, before he gestured towards them. "Come. They will not hurt you."

The King merely watched as Matthew gracefully mounted the antlered beast, this so-called 'moose'. He had never seen anything so majestic, yet so formidable.

Oh, and this was but the beginning; there was just so much of this lovely planet left to explore.

…So much of Matthew left to discover.

"King Alfred?"

As if in a trance – or maybe it was just because he felt inexplicably safe around Matthew – the Sun King climbed onto the mammal's back, subsequently surprising the Earthling with his absence of hesitation.

Exchanging small, bashful smiles, they set off towards their destination.

* * *

The woodland creatures now back to whence they had come, the pair of monarchs stood past the entrance of the Earth palace – well, if it could even be considered as such. The one-story building was, by the looks of it, much smaller in size and markedly less grand than the standard flossy palaces found scattered throughout the Solar System and beyond. In fact, it seemed to be roughly half the size of Saturn's, which was saying something considering the latter most probably had the humblest of abodes amongst everyone.

They looked on silently, Matthew appearing to be trapped in some sort of internal struggle, until he finally blurted, "I know, it isn't much. But this, for me, is home, and I do hope it will suffice for the night."

"It is perfect," came the immediate response.

Blond eyebrows furrowing in disbelief, he came close to countering the statement, sure that Alfred was only obliging him, until the sight of the latter convinced him otherwise.

"Indeed, perfect," the Sun reaffirmed. "I come by opulence and material displays of wealth so often, that it is refreshing to see something that is modest, yet so pleasantly charming." He turned towards his Earthly counterpart, blue pinning violet, "You are quite the special one, Prince Matthew. You, more than anyone, possess all the needed ingredients to a lavish existence, yet you choose to live unpretentiously. Why?"

He shrugged, "It is not in my nature to act like something that isn't me. I prefer to stay true to myself than pretend otherwise, as I do not see the point. I live both happily and serenely, and that is more than enough."

"Hmm, how noble of you."

By that point, Matthew's entire face had pinkened noticeably, which only served to further please Alfred.

"W-well, I wouldn't say 'noble'. More like I'm not one for extravagance, 's all." He ignored Alfred's subsequent chuckling, to instead gesture towards the end of the main hallway, "Your guestroom is the last door to the right. If you are in need of assistance, the double doors in front of your room lead to my personal quarters. Pleasant dreams, King Alfred of the Sun."

Before the Solar monarch could compose himself long enough to get a word in edgewise, and to tell the other to stop calling him by his full title – 'Alfred' would do just fine, thank you very much – Prince Matthew was gone.

* * *

He had waited what he thought to be a decent amount of time following the click of the guestroom door, the click that signified Alfred had retired for the night.

Now, supine against his lush mattress (his bed was one of the few items of luxury he allowed himself to have), Matthew lay thinking.

What had possessed him back on Mars? Since when was he prone to inviting near-complete strangers onto his planet? Into his home? It was jaw-dropping, how impulsive he had been. The Sun, no matter how charming (or handsome), was still a foreign dignitary. Matthew had nearly no idea as to who King Alfred was, or what he was capable of. Both the Sun and the Earth were celestial beings that had existed for billions of years now, cert… but even so; the Sun held much more power over the Earth than most would think. The Sun was what made Earthly life possible, was what made his planet as beautiful and mysterious and exotic as it was.

Did Alfred know? Did he know that Matthew was nearly completely at his mercy? Surely, if he did, that kind of power could get to someone's head. Yet, both Jupiter and Saturn were highly powerful, and they seemed to have remained sane – well, it was debatable in the Jovian's case, but best not digress.

Despite all of these erratic thoughts rushing through him, something told the Earth Prince that this was meant to have happened, that this was _right_.

And so, worries put to rest, violet eyes fluttered shut, blissful sleep calling to him.

* * *

Alfred, meanwhile, was faring no better than his Terran counterpart.

With a snap of his fingers, the heavy cloth weighing his shoulders thinned into much more comfortable evening wear. He sighed in content; he hated his official robes, and hated seeing everyone else in their respective clothing just as much. Well… with one exception.

Earth looked positively stunning in blue. He probably looked stunning in any color, Alfred conceded, but this particular shade had reminded the Stellar King of Matthew's beautiful oceans. Those wide expanses of pure cerulean Alfred found himself staring at for hours on end most days.

It was still a wonder that Alfred, misfit King that he was, had been given this chance, the opportunity to _finally_ meet Matthew.

He was elated. Really, he was. For how long had he been wanting this? He himself was not entirely sure. Since the beginning, he supposed. And that sounded about right, too.

Because in all honesty, Alfred had been drawn to the Earth for as long as he could remember. As a result, he had always somewhat feared the moment he would encounter the Earth's representative. It had to happen eventually, Alfred knew, and so for the longest time he worried himself with questions of 'what if'. What if the Earth monarch was just like everyone else? What if the only thing he saw was Alfred's status as _Sun_ King. A star. Not a planet. That singular, horrendous difference that set him apart from everyone else. The ugly curse that had sentenced him to near-isolation from the start. What then? What would Alfred be left to do then?

It was a question he did not want answered. Not before, now or ever.

So Alfred had made certain to dazzle, to leave the best impression of himself on the last remaining potential for a friend. Yet even then, it had seemed he had fallen short. Matthew had seemed disappointed at what he had seen, dare he say disinterested, and so Alfred had quietly resigned himself to his fate. But then something he never could have anticipated came true: Matthew had approached him of his own volition, and then there had been that wonderful, entirely _perfect_ dance where Matthew had unknowingly managed to overwhelm Alfred's heart more times than ever thought possible.

He had never felt more alive.

And so, it was with a beatific smile on his face that Alfred, the alleged 'ill-starred' King of the Sun, the one they said was fated to a life of solitude more severe than even Pluto, succumbed to slumber.

* * *

MEANWHILE, OLYMPUS MONS PALACE, PLANET MARS

"Do you think he'll be alright? With that… that _star_ with him?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, what if something happens? What if –"

Tired blue eyes revealed themselves as Francis grudgingly slid off his sleep mask. Blinking himself awake, he stretched luxuriously, joints popping as he arched his back, to then lovingly cocoon the evidently worried Martian into his arms. "Arthur, my love, have a little more faith. Alfred would never permit himself to hurt anyone, much less Matthew."

Unconvinced, Arthur twisted in his lover's hold until they lay facing each other, the bedposts underneath meanwhile groaning in protest at the sudden movement. "Out with it, then. What do you know that I don't wherein you aren't losing a single wink of sleep?"

A nearly imperceptible sigh escaped the Venusian as he merely pulled the other closer. "What, pray tell, has lead you to believe I know anything."

Green eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You have yet to join me as I continue to lie here, bloody _tossing and turning_ with unease. That is plenty indicator to me."

"Arthur, please, can this not wait till morn?"

"No. No, it cannot. That blasted Sun twit is on planet Earth as we speak, _in Matthew's home_ , and despite Saturn's reassuring words I cannot sleep." His eyes softened, beseeching, "Francis, I need you to tell me. Remember your promise. You promised to never keep me in the dark again. Never again. Not after that terrible –" He was silenced when a finger pressed itself onto his lips.

"Arthur, I hear you. I understand, Arthur, I do. But at this point in time, my hands are tied. All I ask of you is that you trust me. Trust me when I say that your concerns at the moment are unfounded. It is just as Saturn guaranteed, no harm will come to the Prince while in Alfred's presence." Venus was quick to press his lips to Arthur's, his fingers serving to further dissolve any lingering worry as they combed soothingly through short blond hair.

Exhaustion ultimately winning him over, green eyes slowly fell shut under the Venusian's watchful gaze and talented hands.

Francis let a soft smile grace his lips as he continued to tenderly stroke his beloved's head, thumb grazing a cheek in passing. "Trust. Yes, that is all I ask of you until it is time. For now, pleasant dreams, my love."

* * *

End of Chapter 3

A/N: Again, thank you to those who have read/favorited/followed/reviewed this story so far. Know that I appreciate the support immensely.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that further chapters will continue to meet your expectations.

Sending you many kisses from the True North,

~SHnM


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.

 _Bonne lecture!_

 **My Darling Daisy, My Daisy Darling**

The next morning found Alfred and Matthew at the dining room table, discussing their plans for the day ahead. In actual fact, Matthew did all the speaking whilst Alfred contented himself with listening, absently nodding every now and then in affirmation.

"What do you think? Do you feel like it is simply too much for one day, or am I worrying myself for naught?"

Alfred blinked, attempting in vain to appear like he had remained focused rather than lose himself in the way Matthew's perfect lips so beautifully moved when forming words. "You're the host, and I but your humble guest. Let us proceed according to what you think is best. I trust your judgement."

One of the Prince's eyebrow's quirked in amusement, "Or you could simply admit I failed to gain your attention the moment I opened my mouth. No need to indulge me so long as asking me to repeat myself is perfectly acceptable. I pride myself in the fact that I am not one to be offended easily, after all. Also," here, his words came out in a fashion that was quietly resigned, halting, "I do admit that I am rather boring, so it is only understandable I–"

"You are most certainly not 'boring'! I assure you of that." Alfred was quick to interrupt, surprised; maybe he shared more in common with the Earth Prince than he previously thought. "In fact, I was merely distracted."

"Distracted?" The Planet's eyes widened in concern. "By what, if I may ask? Were your sleeping arrangements not to your liking? I am terribly sorry if that is indeed the ca–"

"No! No, none of that! It isn't that." Oh, this was one lovely situation he had landed himself in. ' _Well done, me. Really. Nice going. Why can't I ever do something right, for a change?_ '

"Then, what?" Matthew tilted his head in question, patiently waiting for an answer.

"I… Uhm…" He sighed, shaking his head in defeat. Well, since he had already divulged half the truth… "I was entranced by your beauty." His jaw subsequently dropped in shock. That was definitely not what he had planned to say! ' _Again. Well done, me. Really. Way to go and come off as a creep._ ' (Matthew, meanwhile, now had an eyebrow raised in question.) "I – err, suffice to say, you have… I cannot help but… hmm, it seems I have landed myself between a rock and a hard place, would you not agree?" The chuckles that came forth were self-deprecating, uncomfortable in their nature.

The Earth's responding chuckles, on the other hand, seemed entirely amused, perhaps even a little fond to Alfred's ears. "How inherently special, you star folk are. I find myself fascinated. You really are quite the curious specimen, aren't you Sun King?"

"Alfred." Blue eyes were earnest, despite how rosy the tips of his ears had become, "Please call me Alfred, as that is not only my name, but also an honest preference on my part."

The Prince seemed unsure, lips sealed tight in indecision, until he voiced his concern, "But only friends refer to each other by name."

"We _are_ friends."

"You mean to say we have only recently become acquainted," the Earth monarch countered.

Alfred carefully kept his displeasure from showing on his face, previous embarrassment forgotten as he answered plainly, "Time does not determine one's level of closeness with another. That is left to the individuals in question to decide. And I, for one, consider you henceforth to be my friend. I do hope you may come to think along a similar wavelength as I."

The star could tell just by looking at him that Matthew was currently debating with himself, weighing his options, until finally:

"Fine." Earth threw his hands aloft, declaring softly, "We are friends."

Alfred could hardly believe it, smiling tentatively, lest he had heard wrong. It was never this easy. The Universe was never this charitable, least of all to him. "Really?"

…But perhaps Fate was?

The Earthling nodded, shrugging, "Why not? I can use someone other than Kumajirou to go on adventures with. The other planets, for the most part, stifle me. I am keenly aware it is all out of love and goodwill, but their actions toward me are quick to turn overwhelming on most occasions."

"I see."

It was suddenly Matthew's turn to fall victim to his guest's beauty. It was as if the desert had taken his tongue and left his entire mouth dry in its wake; Alfred's smile was, to put it simply, radiant. It shone like a thousand suns joined together. Not that Matthew had every seen so many shining in one setting, but… to his knowledge, nothing else could describe how truly gleeful Alfred looked at that very moment. Matthew felt himself on the brink of melting, felt himself teetering in the wake of such an incredible expression. His heart quite literally _ached_ , and he could not understand why. Nor did he feel he needed to. Not yet.

"I, Alfred of the Sun, am friends with the Earth Prince, Matthew," he laughed, a delighted, tinkling sound. "I never thought the day would come." Blue eyes held violet as the King merrily suggested, "Now that the matter is settled, how about we get on with our day? …As friends?"

Matthew, pleasantly dazed, could only nod.

* * *

"Best be careful, Sun Ki– Alfred."

Said Sun monarch chuckled. "Ah, you remembered to call me by name! Regardless, I must say, your lands are truly magnificent! What splendor! Really, if I were anyone else I would be jealous. But as such, I am not that sort of individual."

"So it seems. Though, like I said –"

"Really. Absolutely remarkable."

"Mhmm. Now Alfred, you should really –"

"Look at how green these grounds are! It is bountiful with what I think you called 'grass'? And this place is a… what was it… a 'valley'?"

"Correct. But in all seriousness, Alfred, watch where –"

"And the wind! Absolutely refreshing! Nothing like my own Solar win–"

"STOP, ALFRED, STOP!"

"Hmm?" Alfred did as he was told, turning toward his Terran counterpart. "Is something the matter?"

"…Up ahead. A ravine. You nearly fell in."

He looked down, and immediately froze as his eyes met the edge of the scarp situated less than a handful of steps away from where he was standing. "Oh."

* * *

"You know, it is much more dangerous here than I thought it would be. I feel like I'm in survivor mode. Not that I would die, of course, but I for one like to avoid pain when possible."

The Sun – the real, spherical-shaped one – had long passed its zenith by the time the pair opted for a break. Together, they sat contentedly under a magnolia tree, the blossoms' sweet fragrance a most welcome addition to an already splendid day spent in each other's company. Alfred found himself smiling in wonderment when a multitude of pink, strap-like petals sailed overhead along an incoming breeze, one landing gracefully at the top of Matthew's head.

The Stellar representative supressed a laugh, yet kept his smile. "But, despite the danger, your planet remains as beautiful as I imagined it to be. Perhaps, even more so. I'm glad you allowed me a chance to find out. I had a wonderful time today, as you might have already guessed."

And he really had. Matthew had spent most of the day as a tour guide of sorts, explaining and describing whatever life form or place or object they came across, all while trying to answer each and every one of Alfred's questions – which had amounted to a substantial amount, Alfred being as curious as he was. Yet, all in all, they had enjoyed themselves: Matthew by pridefully speaking about his planet to someone that was more than willing to listen, and Alfred by learning many new things and consequently having his wildest of dreams concerning planet Earth surpassed.

Another breeze brought forth a new wave of magnolia petals, and with it a second petal to wedge itself into Matthew's silky-looking hair.

"Matt?"

A snore was what answered him, and Alfred this time could not help the laughter that sneaked passed his lips. Ah, it seemed he had tired his host out. With a fond glimmer in his eyes – because his smile had yet to fade away – the Sun ruler took it upon himself to dislodge the magnolia petals until a sudden stir caused him to stop in his tracks.

Violet eyes cracked open, slowly blinking sleep away, to then widen in alarm as the following information registered: Alfred's hand entirely too close to his face, Alfred's body leaning toward him, Alfred's overall proximity…

"I… Matthe–"

The Earth Prince quickly set himself onto his feet, his heart beating furiously in his chest. "I think it is high time we call it a day. Should I call my moose to transport us back to the palace? Or do you not mind going by foot?" He acted oblivious, pointedly refusing to look downward where Alfred was sitting, arm still outstretched, fingers positioned to pluck.

Noticing the sudden change in Matthew's demeanor, the Sun King resignedly rose to his feet, dusting himself off. In a murmur, he replied, "Let us walk. There is still plenty of time left until sunset, and the weather calls for it."

And so, without another word, they set off toward the Earth palace.

…

It was only after they bid each other goodnight, an hour after the evening's meal (which had also been spent in uncomfortable silence), that Matthew noticed the petals in his hair.

The ensuing groan said it all.

* * *

End of Chapter 4

A/N: As always, thank you to those who have read/favorited/followed/reviewed this story so far. Know that I appreciate the support immensely.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that further chapters will continue to meet your expectations.

Sending you much love from Mapleland,

~SHnM


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I needed to focus on school for a bit. Now I'm on break though, so I intend on writing lots before my next semester begins!

 _Bonne lecture!_

 **My Darling Daisy, My Daisy Darling**

Once more at the dining room table, forks poised over breakfast, Alfred was the one who ultimately addressed the metaphorical elephant in the room.

"It is perfectly alright, you know. How you reacted yesterday. After all, I would have done the same thing."

"Excuse me?"

Alfred was lost in thought, blue eyes unfocused. "In actual fact, I must admit I am quite accustomed to that sort of reaction. It gets terribly lonely, when one by one people begin to distance themselves because of their fear of you, their _hatred_ of you, but I understand. Always. For I only bring destruction. Except you. I gift you with something as beautiful as life. Me, the cursed star King. It is difficult for me to believe, never mind accept it as true, but… but if I learned anything yesterday, anything at all, that would be it."

"Alfred, just what are you saying? I don't –"

"You hate me."

Matthew jerked back in his seat, his utensil falling to the wood flooring with a clank, mouth agape with shock; Alfred had spoken with such finality, such resignation. "I… What? That is absolutely ludicrous. How could you think that? You merely surprised me yesterday, is all. I do not receive much company and, as such, am unused to having someone be so close to me."

"Matthe–"

"You must understand, finding someone leaning over me the way you were spooked me. I assure you, I do not hate you! In fact, I –"

"That is quite enough, Earth Prince. There is no need for such floundering. I understand. Now, I best be going. I have already overstayed my welcome as it is.

"But –" He was silenced when eyes the color of sapphires grew suddenly close to his own.

"Did I stutter? I said I understood, did I not? That is the truth. Therefore, you may put your mind at ease."

The smile that preceded his words, undoubtedly meant to be reassuring, came painfully short of the dazzling show of teeth Matthew had seen the day before.

Matthew found himself hating this deceitful act of nonchalance. Why was Alfred so obviously refusing to accept his explanation?

The Sun King meanwhile took Matthew's pause at face value, and turned to leave. It was as he was stepping out into the hallway leading to the palace entrance that he heard Matthew's call to wait. He inclined his head in a show that he was listening, not daring to meet the indifferent, dispassionate expression that was surely on Matthew's face.

"Before you take your leave. Perhaps I can soon visit you, in turn? So I could finally see the Sun as I've always longed to see it? Would that be fair of me to ask?"

Unbeknownst to Matthew, Alfred was overcome with disbelief, heart constricting with hope and delight and so many other indecipherable things within his chest. "If that is what you desire," he nearly choked out, sounding entirely too breathless, too eager, for his own liking, "then I see no problem in showing you my home. I gladly welcome you. Come whenever you like, as my doors will always be open to you, Earth. Until then, farewell." With that, he stepped through the threshold, soon after shrinking into a mere speck in the Earth sky as he left for home.

He did not think of casting a last glance behind as he exited the Terran atmosphere, too preoccupied with the slew of new, strange, not-entirely-unwelcome emotions assaulting him.

Had he done so, he would have noticed Matthew waving at him from the ground below.

* * *

Immediately upon reaching his corona, he sensed a familiar presence.

Confused, though opting to conceal it, Alfred made his way to where he could sense the Jovian's aura, deeming it preferable not to keep the latter waiting. Because King Ivan was just about as patient as the planet he embodied was warm.

"Jupiter," he greeted curtly upon discovering the planetary monarch in his throne room, pacing the area like a trapped Earth lion, visibly agitated. It was under these circumstances Alfred decided he ought to tread carefully. "What brings you here, if I may ask? Your last visit goes back a millennium ago, at the very least."

Pausing for but a moment, the Jovian took one last step of his frantic marching to then round on Alfred, "What brings me here? _What brings me here_? Surely, I would not need to explain myself should you be less ignorant! Tell me comrade Sun, why must you be so utterly dull?"

"Hey! I am _not_ stupid!" he immediately objected. "I merely want to hear the reason for _your_ visit from _your_ lips, rather than depend on my reasoning alone."

The Jovian ignored the words in favor of abruptly asking, "What do you want from him?"

There was no mystery to Alfred as to who 'him' was.

"None of your concern!"

"I beg to differ. Everything about him is my concern. I'm his Protector. I keep him safe day in and day out, which is more than I can say for _you_." Knowing he had hit a sore spot from the way the Sun King practically wilted, he internally smirked. "Now I ask again, what do you want from him?"

It took a moment, but when it came, Jupiter found himself deeply disliking the answer.

"I… I want… someone that I can let myself love knowing that I will be loved in return."

Silence ensued – Alfred, disbelieving he had voiced something so bold aloud, and Ivan...

This would not do. Oh, this would most certainly _not_ do.

"And what?" said Ivan with a sneer, soon followed by a sardonic laugh. "You childishly think Matthew – our sweet, beloved Princeling who shines brighter than even yourself – was destined to be that 'someone'? I knew you were foolish, but the extent of your foolishness was unknown to me until this very moment."

It seemed a kernel of hope had been planted into Alfred's heart during his brief stay on Earth, for what was said next nearly made Ivan's blood run cold:

"Unlike you, the Earth Prince would never think that way. He's different, special, and has brought me more happiness in a single day than the rest of you have in the last billion years," Alfred countered confidently, vexed by the other monarch's constant displays of derision.

It ought to be known that Jupiter and the Sun had always acted as rivals of sorts, and this since the beginning. Being as large as he was, even as a newborn planet, Ivan had constantly been mocked and harrowed by his fellow planetary peers simply due to his size. On all too many occasions, he had been branded as 'Ivan the failed star', a graceless gas giant that took up too much space for what he and his planet were worth. And Jupiter had begun to believe it, that had he been born just a little bigger (just a _little more_ ), he could have been a star – just like Alfred. But alas, the Universe was a cruel place, he had quickly learned. And so for the longest time, he had wallowed in his own despair, had deemed himself unworthy of friends and all else he thought could render happiness…

Until a little Prince by the name of Matthew, the Earth's elusive embodiment, had one day found him lying despondently in the snow, lost somewhere on the Blue Planet's Northern lands…

* * *

EARTH, 2.4 BILLION YEARS AGO

 _It was cold, frigid even, yet no less welcoming._

 _He was on foreign soil, yet it felt similar to his home planet, just as hostile. Or maybe it was his current state of mind that drove him to think this way. He did not know. He did not particularly care, either. All he wanted was to be left alone, to cease being the subject of ridicule in the eyes of those who were meant to be his equals, his friends. It would have been nice, to be accepted amongst them, to be treated like he belonged, but he was so much taller and bulkier and clumsier where the others were refined and proficient and much, much smaller. He was the misfit planet of the Solar System, his storms much more violent and his weather much more volatile. He did not have Venus' beauty and potential, or Mercury's creative flair, or Neptune's intellect, nor did he have Pluto's humorous eccentricities. And so rather than stay on his planet, the very cause behind his misfortune, he would opt to stay here for the time being, for as long as it would take until his planet got struck by a meteor large enough to reduce its size into a more favorable one._

 _Ha! That would be the day! Fate rarely did what was asked of it, and luck never smiled down on the unfortunate few, on Ivan._

 _And so, on this desolate planet where ice and snow were all that one could see, it was here he would hide. Because after all, it was cold, frigid even, yet no less welcoming. It would do him well to remain clear from the others for a while, just long enough that they would (hopefully) forget his existence entirely and move on to a new target._

 _He shifted slightly to the right, the virgin patch of snow pillowing his head quite nicely. Should he hibernate here for the next million or so years, he might as well get comfortable now._

 _Or maybe not, seeing as a shadow was currently looming over him, blocking the light he could see even through his eyelids, the light being emitted from the white fireball hanging overhead – the Sun, Ivan's foe and greatest source of misery, the very reason he was here._

" _Pardon me, but are you alright?" the shadow spoke, tone of voice soft, a complete contrast to this unforgiving terrain._

 _Ah, he had been wrong, it seemed; this planet was not desolate after all._

 _This did nothing to deter Ivan from remaining silent, feigning unconsciousness._

" _I know you can hear me, traveller. This is my planet. As such, I can sense what passes through my atmosphere at all times, no matter if it is in or out." The mysterious figure took a single, careful step towards the Jovian's prone, motionless form. "Thus, I ask you again: are you alright? You seem in need of assistance, and I would be most glad to provide it."_

 _The young King deigned to open his eyes, thunder-sparking fingers ready to strike – oh, this troublesome stranger would rue the day he dared disturb King Ivan of Jupiter from his everlasting slumber – when the most enchanting sight was what greeted him._

 _Eyes, the loveliest shade of violet he had ever seen, with full lips, sculpted cheekbones, and a straight, handsomely molded nose. This was all framed by a cascade of sleek, wind-tousled blond hair._

 _Fate Almighty, he was simply exquisite._

 _Ivan felt his cheeks warm in a way they never had before. He strained to swallow, his mouth having suddenly gone dry, and not from this planet's arid, gelid climate._

 _The newcomer apparently took the ensuing silence as an invitation to keep speaking. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Earth, third planet from the Sun after Mercury and Venus."_

 _It was entirely too quiet now, as if the winds had died down from their wild race just to allow what was said next to be heard:_

" _If you are what you say you are… then why is your planet as cold as it presents itself to be?"_

 _Careful in hiding his amused smile, lest the other revert back to hostile silence, Earth dutifully explained, tone of voice pleasant amidst the once more howling winds, "We currently find ourselves witnessing the peak of my very first Ice Age. It also does not help matters that we are located near my planet's Northernmost point, which receives significantly less Solar rays than my lands further South near my Equator."_

 _Ivan did revert back to silence, but only because he had nothing more to add, contenting himself by simply humming his understanding._

 _To which Earth (Ivan would soon learn his name was Matthew, and oh, how lovely and endearing and_ perfect _was_ that _?) answered with a laugh sweet enough to get the graceless, lumbering gas giant to blush for the second time that day._

 _It was then and there that Ivan decided he would shield this darling Earth, third planet from the Sun after Mercury and Venus, from all of the violence and chaos this unpredictable Universe had to offer._

 _And it would serve, in the near future, as yet another title to be added to the list: Ivan, King and Embodiment of Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity, Wielder of Lightning and Thunderbolts, Fifth Planet from the Sun, Liaison of the Solar System…_

… _and Earth's Protector._

* * *

End of Chapter 5

A/N: As always, thank you to those who have read/favorited/followed/reviewed this story so far. Know that I appreciate the support immensely.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that further chapters will continue to meet your expectations (also, that the three-month wait was worth it).

In the spirit of the holidays, I send you all holly hugs and mistletoe kisses,

~SHnM


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